These crunchy, kid-friendly veggie nuggets are healthy, delicious and very easy to make. Perfect for finger food, lunchbox snacks or dinner- eat them hot or cold! Absolutely the best veggie packed nuggets, you won’t be able to stop at just one!
Made with chickpeas, loads of veggies and tasty spices, these vegetarian nuggets are sure to be a hit in your house.
The first time I made these nuggets, I had a lot of veggies in the fridge that needed to be used. And they were such a hit that my three boys polished off all 30 nuggets in one sitting! Veggie packed nuggets are a great way to use a bunch of old, unloved veggies up. Because they are quite versatile, simply use whatever veg you have on hand. Mix the recipe up depending on what you have available. Corn, peas, zucchini or potato would all make great additions. Kids love them, but adults will love them too!
How do you make vegetarian nuggets?
Veggie nuggets are made by blending a mix of cooked and raw vegetables together with eggs, breadcrumbs and spices. They are then coated in egg and panko breadcrumbs and lightly shallow fried (or you could oven bake) to perfection.
It is important that the filling holds together and doesn’t fall apart during cooking. The eggs, chickpeas and breadcrumbs all help bind everything together. The result is a delicious nugget that is soft in the middle, with a lovely crunch on the outside.
The process;
To make the best veggie packed nuggets, simply cook the finely chopped broccoli and sweet potato until soft and then combine the other ingredients together in a food processor until well blended and smooth. Roll the mixture into balls in your hands and coat them in egg before rolling through the panko breadcrumbs. You can then gently flatten and shape your nuggets. Shallow frying in your oil of choice will produce the crispiest, crunchiest result. But you could also add a little oil spray and oven bake if you want to reduce the oil content.
These tasty little bites are a great way to boost your kids’ (or your own) vegetable intake. Hidden veggies and kid-friendly snacks that are also delicious is always a bonus! Store them in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months, ready for a healthy grab-and-go lunchbox treat. Lovely on their own, you can also dip them into tomato sauce, sour cream, guacamole, or sweet and sour sauce.
If you love the best veggie packed nuggets, feel free to leave a review or a comment below! And try these other delicious hidden vegetable recipes;
These nuggets, along with 49 other healthy and lunchbox friendly snacks, can be found in my new E-BOOK- 50 Freezer Friendly School Lunchbox Snacks here.
Ingredients
- 2 cups broccoli, finely chopped
- 1 cup sweet potato, grated
- olive oil
- 200g canned chickpeas, drained
- 1 large carrot, grated
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup tasty cheese, grated (or skip for dairy free nuggets)
- 1 1/3 cup wholemeal breadcrumbs
- 1 tbs garlic powder
- 1 tbs onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- black pepper
- FOR THE COATING
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- PLUS
- Canola, or other oil, for frying
Instructions
1.Place the broccoli in a frying pan with some olive oil (3-4 tbs) and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until soft.
2. Add the sweet potato and cook, stirring, for a further 3 minutes.
3. Place the broccoli and sweet potato into a food processor and add the chickpeas, carrot, eggs, cheese, breadcrumbs, garlic and onion powder, paprika and black pepper.
4.Blend until all of the ingredients are smooth and completely combined (this may take a few minutes). You may need to stop and push the sides down until the mixture comes together.
5. Using your hands, roll spoonfuls of the mixture into balls. Roll the balls through the beaten egg and then through the panko crumbs until completely coated.
6. Heat some oil in a large frying pan and shallow fry (medium-high heat) the nuggets in batches. Cook 2-3 minutes each side, until golden and crispy.
Delicious for dinners too, remove the nuggets from the oil and serve hot, or allow to cool and freeze in an airtight container for school lunches!
Some other healthy snacks you may be interested in;
- healthy blueberry quinoa cupcakes
- healthy LCM bars
- healthy choc coconut slice
- chia pudding
- no bake muesli slice
- choc mint bliss balls
- healthy fruit gummies
- healthy berry banana cookies
For more lunchbox inspiration, check out these recipes. For tips on time saving and bulk baking school lunches, see this post here.
To save time and money on healthy school (and work) snacks, see my 50 Healthy School Snacks E-BOOK which contains a bonus Guide to Making 2 Minute Lunches.
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4 comments
These sound such a great, delicious and healthy idea, I can’t wait to cook them for my toddler!
Thank you Robyn! I hope your toddler enjoys them as much as my kids do 🙂
Such a great way to eat more veggies in a delicious way!!
Hi Sylvie! They sure are- a good excuse to eat more nuggets! 😀